Deputy Minister Muhsin Dere, overseeing the General Directorate of Military Factories, the General Directorate of Shipyards, the General Directorate of Supply Services, the National Mine Action Center Directorate, the Machinery and Chemical Industry Corporation, and ASFAT A.Ş., along with his bureaucrats, visited the site in OSTİM.
Dere, who met with representatives of companies producing critical components for the sector in the region, emphasized the crucial role of subcontractors in the defense and aerospace industry. The Deputy Minister stated that the ecosystem needs to be protected and developed.
“We are at the service of the Turkish Armed Forces 24 hours a day”
During the first part of the OSTİM program, Muhsin Dere received information about the structure of the region. OSTİM Chairman Orhan Aydın emphasized that the region is a key point for solving national needs. Stating that OSTİM Technical University was established to meet the expectations of the industry, Chairman Aydın said, “We intend to produce solutions to our country's problems. With our clusters, institutions, and capabilities, we are at the service of the Turkish Armed Forces 24/7, without any interruption or expectation. We are giving you a blank check regarding all our resources. You can give us tasks 24 hours a day. We feel responsible for doing these things and wholeheartedly want to cooperate with you on these matters.”
“Specialization is very important”
Mithat Ertuğ, Chairman of the Board of Directors of OSTİM Defence and Aerospace Cluster (OSSA), drew attention to the ecosystem that has formed in the field of defense industry in Ankara. Ertuğ said, "Specializing in the defense industry is very important. These capabilities can be acquired over a long period of time."
Deputy Minister of National Defense Muhsin Dere drew attention to the importance of the defense industry. Stating that the ecosystem formed in the sector must be protected and developed, Dere said, “If we don't keep the subcontractors alive, we won't be able to reach this stage again. We need to grow the subcontractors and bring them to the level of medium and main contractors.”
Recommendation for cooperation among public institutions
Muhsin Dere explained that both public and private sector firms have made significant progress since the Cyprus Peace Operation. Emphasizing the need for public institutions to work in cooperation with the private sector, Dere stated that sensitive approaches should be taken in public planning.
Referring to the defense sector's export target for 2023, Dere said, "A change in mindset is needed to achieve $10 billion in exports. Companies should produce for the global market. If we cannot improve exports, we cannot maintain the defense industry at this level."
Emphasizing the importance of trained human resources, Muhsin Dere continued: “OSTİM Technical University is very important in this sense. There is a need for engineers, technicians, and technologists trained within the industry. Engineers need to be trained according to the clustering topics.”
Dere stated that they wanted a competitive environment in the defense industry, and conveyed the message, "Let new main contractors emerge. Let our public, private sector, and foundation companies compete."
Following the meeting, Deputy Minister Muhsin Dere and his delegation inspected companies operating in the defense industry in OSTİM.
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